Match 1: Edge vs. Shawn Michaels
The established superstar in Shawn Michaels opens up the night against the up and coming superstar in Edge. Feels weird typing that out. It's interesting to see how their chemistry together here started. If you watch their matches in the years after this, they just gelled so nicely. However, it felt like a bit of a sluggish match for their standards. Then again, Edge hadn't established himself as one of the best wrestlers in the world just yet. They still did a fantastic job and the match was definitely a good one. Michaels, even in 2005, was a joy to watch. He perfectly spaces out his moves and lets Edge get in a good amount of offense. Edge eventually scored the win after getting some help from the ropes.
Winner: Edge
Rating: ***1/4
Match 2: Casket - Heidenreich vs. The Undertaker
Heidenreich hates caskets. And here we are. The Undertaker is his opponent and must put The Undertaker in the casket. I can't believe I'm watching this 11 years later for my review. Regardless, they centered the match around Heidenreich's fear of the damn casket. They had a pretty lackluster match going on and when Undertaker looked to be in complete control, Snitsky came to Heidenreich's aid. However, Kane emerged from the casket and fought Snitsky away. Meanwhile, Heidenreich pushes the casket away with ease. Funny considering the announcers just said the thing must weigh over 500 pounds. Undertaker would later hit a Tombstone and placed Heidenreich away in the casket. Wasn't as bad as I expected but don't get it twisted, I won't be watching this again any time soon.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: *1/4
Match 3: WWE Championship - JBL (c) vs. The Big Show vs. Kurt Angle
Sometimes, you need a cluster of a match and guess what, these guys delivered that with an exclamation point. Both JBL and Kurt Angle are nursing injuries from their encounter on SmackDown three days prior. The Big Show has the definitive advantage here but carnage basically breaks through between the three. Awesome spots from this triple threat match that saw Big Show fall through a table and JBL get slammed through the barricade at ringside. That's where the match began to end as Angle has Mark Jindak & Luther Reigns come out for assistance as they take out Big Show away from the equation. However, JBL is able to get back into the ring with help from his Cabinet where he lands a nasty Clothesline from Hell on Angle to retain the title. Great triple threat match that allows JBL to sneak away as the champion once again.
Winner: JBL
Rating: ***1/2
Match 4: World Heavyweight Championship - Triple H (c) vs. Randy Orton
The heat between Triple H and Batista is nearing its boiling point. However, Triple H must put their beef aside and focus on Randy Orton as Evolution is banned from ringside for this match. Orton was booked as a chump following his 2004 title reign and while he lost the match here, I thought that he at least came off as a pretty strong challenger. Great wrestling from the first bell as Triple H reminds us how great he is at telling a story. Working on the leg of Orton and looking cerebral in doing his best to destroy Orton from moving at all. Things really heated up when the referee got knocked down and Triple H brought in his sledgehammer and looked to have a field day against Orton. Orton already looks like he had gotten the crap kicked out of him. However, Orton doesn't allow Triple H to use the sledgehammer but still gets hit with a Pedigree. Orton needs to reset after this loss, always an essential when someone is booked to early to become champion. Like I said, Randy Orton put up a worthy fight but he goes to the back of the line after this.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ****1/4
Match 5: 2005 Royal Rumble
This was probably one of the best constructed Royal Rumble matches of all time. They started the match off with Eddie Guerrero taking on Chris Benoit before letting loose some jobbers so the focus was mainly on them. The Rumble is a perfect time to draw lines for feuds headed into WrestleMania and the perfect start for one came when Kurt Angle rushed towards the ring and delivered suplex after suplex. This was only before getting hit with a Sweet Chin Music by Shawn Michaels. Angle rushed back into the ring, threw out Michaels, and beat the living daylights out of him as blood ran down the face of HBK. So awesome. There was never really a dull moment in this match and they were able to get their stories across. It was SmackDown vs. Raw at one point, it was Muhammad Hassan getting eliminated by all the competitors, and most importantly, it was a match that saw the dawn of a new era. Gone were Brock Lesnar, The Rock, and Stone Cold Austin. Instead, our final four guys consisted of Rey Mysterio, Edge, Batista, and John Cena. However, the SmackDown vs. Raw story intertwined in the very end as it came down to Batista and John Cena. Batista hoisted up Cena for a Batista Bomb but the two ended up falling out of the ring simultaneously. The Raw referees declared Batista the winner while the SmackDown referees declared Cena the winner. Nice touch. Mr. McMahon then came out to the ring and restarted the match where Batista quickly eliminated Cena. Epic win and an epic road for Batista to WrestleMania 21.
Winner: Batista
Rating: ****1/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
This was one of the more memorable Royal Rumble events that have come about in the past 15 years or so. This show also had one of the better undercards aside from the Casket match with Triple H vs. Randy Orton being the focal point. The Royal Rumble match delivered on so many levels and also marked the start of a brand new era.
Rating: 8/10
Friday, December 25, 2015
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
WWE Bragging Rights 2009 Review
Match 1: Raw vs. SmackDown Bragging Rights - John Morrison vs. The Miz
This is the first Bragging Rights PPV and it's one of the better PPV ideas the WWE has created. There will be three Raw vs. SmackDown matches and whichever brand to score two wins earns the big Bragging Rights trophy. The first match is between two former partners in a champion vs. champion bout. I really do wish they had saved this for a bigger stage but it does make sense to have it open the night here. Miz has come a very long way, his wrestling skills have seen a pretty hefty improvement over the past year and it shows here against Morrison. Good match that only suffered from time constraints and a faulty finish as Miz simply pushed Morrison off the top who was attempting his Starship Pain finisher. Despite that, Miz scores a point for Team Raw.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: **3/4
Match 2: Raw vs. SmackDown Bragging Rights - Team Raw (Melina, Kelly Kelly, & Gail Kim) vs. Team Smackdown (Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix, & Natalya)
The second match of the night is another Raw vs. SmackDown Bragging Rights bout but this time around, it's with the lovely Divas. Really, what needs to be said here that hasn't been said about them before? A typical Divas match that saw lots of sluggish moves and a couple botches here and there as the commentators do their best to hype this match. Beth Phoenix hit Melina with her Glam Slam finish to secure the win. Bland PPV match, just another Divas match you would see on Raw.
Winners: Team SmackDown
Rating: 3/4*
Match 3: World Heavyweight Championship - The Undertaker (c) vs. Batista vs. CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio
SmackDown's main event features four former champions going after each other for Undertaker's gold. This was an odd match, it never really felt like it got out of first gear and almost as if it was just one big cluster in the ring. Nobody had the advantage in the match, there was a nice blend of everybody getting close to scoring the win. However, CM Punk just seemed kind of there for the most part. The Undertaker is the champ and seems like is the one participating the most, Batista and Rey Mysterio have their encounter, and Punk never really seemed to fit in with the main eventers here. Batista cleans house in the ring before turning around to The Undertaker hitting a Tombstone on him for the victory. Afterwards, Josh Matthews interviews Mysterio in the ring about the match before Batista absolutely destroys Mysterio. One of the best heel turns you will ever see. The look of anger and intensity in Batista's face was superb. They teased his turn during the match and it culminated after with Batista beating the hell out of Mysterio. The match itself was good but it was too short and just never really clicked. But if there's one thing to take out of this match other than Punk is likely going down the card, it's that Batista belongs in the WWE as a heel.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: **1/4
Match 4: Raw vs. SmackDown Bragging Rights - Team Raw (D-Generation X, The Big Show, Kofi Kingston, Mark Henry, Cody Rhodes, & Jack Swagger) vs. Team SmackDown (Chris Jericho, Kane, Matt Hardy, Finlay, R-Truth, & The Hart Dynasty)
This is the first Raw vs. SmackDown Bragging Rights match in history and it reminds me very much of the famous main event of the 2005 Survivor Series. The main difference being that this one lacks that special feel to it. The one in 2005 felt like a legit feud, this one feels rather forced. The audience doesn't really have any brand allegiance and could really care less who walked out the "more superior brand." This is the deciding factor of the night as both brands have a tied score. This isn't an elimination match so the first to score the pin or submission scores the win for their squad. This was a pretty brief match as it takes into account the main event after this. Everybody gets their shots in until The Big Show hits a Chokeslam on Kofi Kingston followed by taking out Triple H. Chris Jericho is left to pin Kingston to score the win for his team. A rather predictable finish but it made sense considering how Jericho is pretty much brainwashing The Big Show. Jericho hilariously celebrates with his team and the trophy after the match. If we could get a count on how many times Show has turned on people, that would be great.
Winners: Team SmackDown
Rating: ***
Match 5: WWE Championship - Anything Goes Iron Man - Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena
Just in case you guys haven't gotten enough of these guys facing each other, you get these two one more time in an Iron Man match for the full hour. Not only does anything go for this match, but Cena must leave Raw if he loses. Never heard that one before. Since we've pretty much seen everything from these two guys, they needed to pull as many tricks out of the hat as they could. They definitely did that and they definitely made the hour go by quickly. Every pin made sense and every pin was different from the other. Randy Orton tapped early on as soon as John Cena applied his STF, it was brilliant. They did a double pin where Cena landed his Attitude Adjustment as Orton slickly turned it into an RKO. They also got Legacy involved before Kofi Kingston chased them off with a steel chair as Kingston had a previous encounter with Cody Rhodes in the night. Let's not forget the wacky part where Orton looked to take out Cena with the pyro. It felt really corny but it definitely made for a memorable scene. Also cool to see how Cena bled a good amount after Orton drilled Cena in the top of his head with a microphone. I had my doubts about this match but they quickly turned them away pretty fast. They told a really great story throughout and especially with the second half. As time winded down, Orton had the advantage on the scoreboard and looked to play defense in order to protect his lead. However, Cena was having none of it and looked to regain the lead with limited time in his hands. Finally, Cena tied things up with a huge Attitude Adjustment through the announcers table. Cena wasn't able to score a second pin and decides to set up a table in the middle of the ring. That plan backfires as Orton rolled out of danger as Cena drove himself through the table. After a couple referee bumps, Cena is able to lock in the STF once more to get Orton to submit right in the nick of time to win the match, the rivalry, and the WWE Championship. Fantastic match that completely exceeded my expectations. These two never really have the best matches ever so to sit down and see them go at it for a full hour raised many questions for me. However, kudos to both guys on their amazing performances and making that hour go by as fast as possible.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ****1/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
I loved the concept of the show but it was executed pretty poorly. Fans don't seem to care which brand is more superior than the other and in turn, it didn't make things exciting for me to watch. The matches were pretty dull aside from the main event which definitely exceeded all expectations. While John Cena & Randy Orton were the stars of the show, Batista's heel turn may be the reason why I'll remember this event. One of the most remarkable heel turns I have ever seen. If there's any reason to check this show out, it's because of that and the main event.
Rating: 6/10
This is the first Bragging Rights PPV and it's one of the better PPV ideas the WWE has created. There will be three Raw vs. SmackDown matches and whichever brand to score two wins earns the big Bragging Rights trophy. The first match is between two former partners in a champion vs. champion bout. I really do wish they had saved this for a bigger stage but it does make sense to have it open the night here. Miz has come a very long way, his wrestling skills have seen a pretty hefty improvement over the past year and it shows here against Morrison. Good match that only suffered from time constraints and a faulty finish as Miz simply pushed Morrison off the top who was attempting his Starship Pain finisher. Despite that, Miz scores a point for Team Raw.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: **3/4
Match 2: Raw vs. SmackDown Bragging Rights - Team Raw (Melina, Kelly Kelly, & Gail Kim) vs. Team Smackdown (Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix, & Natalya)
The second match of the night is another Raw vs. SmackDown Bragging Rights bout but this time around, it's with the lovely Divas. Really, what needs to be said here that hasn't been said about them before? A typical Divas match that saw lots of sluggish moves and a couple botches here and there as the commentators do their best to hype this match. Beth Phoenix hit Melina with her Glam Slam finish to secure the win. Bland PPV match, just another Divas match you would see on Raw.
Winners: Team SmackDown
Rating: 3/4*
Match 3: World Heavyweight Championship - The Undertaker (c) vs. Batista vs. CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio
SmackDown's main event features four former champions going after each other for Undertaker's gold. This was an odd match, it never really felt like it got out of first gear and almost as if it was just one big cluster in the ring. Nobody had the advantage in the match, there was a nice blend of everybody getting close to scoring the win. However, CM Punk just seemed kind of there for the most part. The Undertaker is the champ and seems like is the one participating the most, Batista and Rey Mysterio have their encounter, and Punk never really seemed to fit in with the main eventers here. Batista cleans house in the ring before turning around to The Undertaker hitting a Tombstone on him for the victory. Afterwards, Josh Matthews interviews Mysterio in the ring about the match before Batista absolutely destroys Mysterio. One of the best heel turns you will ever see. The look of anger and intensity in Batista's face was superb. They teased his turn during the match and it culminated after with Batista beating the hell out of Mysterio. The match itself was good but it was too short and just never really clicked. But if there's one thing to take out of this match other than Punk is likely going down the card, it's that Batista belongs in the WWE as a heel.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: **1/4
Match 4: Raw vs. SmackDown Bragging Rights - Team Raw (D-Generation X, The Big Show, Kofi Kingston, Mark Henry, Cody Rhodes, & Jack Swagger) vs. Team SmackDown (Chris Jericho, Kane, Matt Hardy, Finlay, R-Truth, & The Hart Dynasty)
This is the first Raw vs. SmackDown Bragging Rights match in history and it reminds me very much of the famous main event of the 2005 Survivor Series. The main difference being that this one lacks that special feel to it. The one in 2005 felt like a legit feud, this one feels rather forced. The audience doesn't really have any brand allegiance and could really care less who walked out the "more superior brand." This is the deciding factor of the night as both brands have a tied score. This isn't an elimination match so the first to score the pin or submission scores the win for their squad. This was a pretty brief match as it takes into account the main event after this. Everybody gets their shots in until The Big Show hits a Chokeslam on Kofi Kingston followed by taking out Triple H. Chris Jericho is left to pin Kingston to score the win for his team. A rather predictable finish but it made sense considering how Jericho is pretty much brainwashing The Big Show. Jericho hilariously celebrates with his team and the trophy after the match. If we could get a count on how many times Show has turned on people, that would be great.
Winners: Team SmackDown
Rating: ***
Match 5: WWE Championship - Anything Goes Iron Man - Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena
Just in case you guys haven't gotten enough of these guys facing each other, you get these two one more time in an Iron Man match for the full hour. Not only does anything go for this match, but Cena must leave Raw if he loses. Never heard that one before. Since we've pretty much seen everything from these two guys, they needed to pull as many tricks out of the hat as they could. They definitely did that and they definitely made the hour go by quickly. Every pin made sense and every pin was different from the other. Randy Orton tapped early on as soon as John Cena applied his STF, it was brilliant. They did a double pin where Cena landed his Attitude Adjustment as Orton slickly turned it into an RKO. They also got Legacy involved before Kofi Kingston chased them off with a steel chair as Kingston had a previous encounter with Cody Rhodes in the night. Let's not forget the wacky part where Orton looked to take out Cena with the pyro. It felt really corny but it definitely made for a memorable scene. Also cool to see how Cena bled a good amount after Orton drilled Cena in the top of his head with a microphone. I had my doubts about this match but they quickly turned them away pretty fast. They told a really great story throughout and especially with the second half. As time winded down, Orton had the advantage on the scoreboard and looked to play defense in order to protect his lead. However, Cena was having none of it and looked to regain the lead with limited time in his hands. Finally, Cena tied things up with a huge Attitude Adjustment through the announcers table. Cena wasn't able to score a second pin and decides to set up a table in the middle of the ring. That plan backfires as Orton rolled out of danger as Cena drove himself through the table. After a couple referee bumps, Cena is able to lock in the STF once more to get Orton to submit right in the nick of time to win the match, the rivalry, and the WWE Championship. Fantastic match that completely exceeded my expectations. These two never really have the best matches ever so to sit down and see them go at it for a full hour raised many questions for me. However, kudos to both guys on their amazing performances and making that hour go by as fast as possible.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ****1/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
I loved the concept of the show but it was executed pretty poorly. Fans don't seem to care which brand is more superior than the other and in turn, it didn't make things exciting for me to watch. The matches were pretty dull aside from the main event which definitely exceeded all expectations. While John Cena & Randy Orton were the stars of the show, Batista's heel turn may be the reason why I'll remember this event. One of the most remarkable heel turns I have ever seen. If there's any reason to check this show out, it's because of that and the main event.
Rating: 6/10
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
WWE WrestleMania 31 Review
Match 1: Intercontinental Championship - Ladder - Bad News Barrett (c) vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Luke Harper vs. Stardust vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Dean Ambrose vs. R-Truth
WrestleMania has a proud lineage of Ladder matches and this one kicks off the show under the California sun with Daniel Bryan being the first to enter. This is a great idea to have these guys find spots on the card but after seeing these types of matches done to death, they hardly get any more exciting than the last one. We've seen all these spots done before that even the crowd or the commentators don't really get too excited over things. I guess that really isn't so much the point as they are mainly just getting these guys on the card as they set up the rest of the night. The main spot came when Luke Harper drove Dean Ambrose through a ladder outside as both Ambrose and the ladder snapped in half. This was the beginning for Daniel Bryan to score the victory by taking out Dolph Ziggler on top of the ladder with a series of headbutts. Bryan ends WrestleMania XXX with a title victory and opens up 31 with another one.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ***1/2
Match 2: Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins
This match definitely seemed to be the one that has been forgotten about on a pretty stacked card. Two guys who Triple H has taken under his win go at it on the grandest stage. Seth Rollins comes out to the fantastic pairing of Jamie Noble & Joey Mercury as Randy Orton walks alone. This match just reminds me of how good Orton is and how overlooked he is in the ring. So smooth, so smart and everything done at a fluid pace. They had a great feud coming into the night and everything carried over nicely here. They told a great story from the start to the finish, you felt the hate from the two and you felt the desperation from Rollins who pulled out every move in his arsenal. The ending was fantastic as J & J both got nailed with RKOs for their efforts while Rollins looked to hit a second Curb Stomp before getting it reversed into the sickest RKO I have ever seen. It was cool live and it was just as cool watching it on DVD. In any other occasion, I would be mad at Orton scoring the win over Rollins but since this is WrestleMania, the good guy gets the pass. Rollins loses but I'm sure he'll be a winner by the end of the night.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Match 3: Sting vs. Triple H
It's 1999 all over again as WCW's franchise player in Sting goes up against Triple H. Both guys come out to elaborate entrances that included Triple H coming out with a Terminator-themed entrance which definitely brought the crowd to its feet. I legit do not know where to start with this. They used all the smoke and mirrors they could to cover up Sting's limitations and quite honestly, it worked. Triple H is a genius and showed us once again that no matter the age or situation, he is ready to work with anyone to an unprecedented standard. Things picked up when Sting looked to make Triple H submit with his Scorpion Deathlock before D-Generation X's music hits and out comes the old squad. Sting is able to take care of them and even dive outside the ring and on top of them. This eventually led to nWo coming out as the two teams clash on the ramp. Carnage is breaking loose as Shawn Michaels enters the fray and hits a Sweet Chin Music on Sting! Sting is still able to kick out! The two teams step aside to watch the two superstars clash as Sting breaks Triple H's sledgehammer in half with his baseball bat! However, Triple H is still able to use half of the hammer and bashes Sting over the head with it to score the victory. Afterwards, the two teams face off with Triple H shaking Sting's hands over some animated words. Great match with more style than substance. Sometimes, a match like this is needed for a show like this and this was a perfect opportunity for it. Sting was able to finally have his WrestleMania debut but only at the expense of a loss to Triple H. Many didn't agree with Triple H going over but in my opinion, it made sense. Triple H is on television every week and needs to remind the audience that he indeed is the boss.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ***3/4
Match 4: Paige & AJ Lee vs. The Bella Twins
This is the bathroom break for the show as The Bella Twins face off against their foes in Paige & AJ Lee. AJ locks one of The Bella Twins in her Black Widow submission for the win. What else do you want me to say? The action was fine but nothing out of the ordinary. This also would end up being AJ's final month in the company. Alright.
Winners: Paige & AJ Lee
Rating: *
Match 5: United States Championship - Rusev (c) vs. John Cena
Rusev comes out to an incredible entrance, it almost makes me feel like I'm going back 30 years and watching a foreign heel make his grand entrance. John Cena was granted his rematch here at WrestleMania 31. It's still weird to see Cena not being in the marquee WrestleMania match. Last year with Bray Wyatt and here with Rusev for the lesser championship. I enjoyed with match, good action from the first bell to the last. Rusev is a great heel and Cena makes for the perfect pairing against him. Stiff and to the point with Lana being the wild card on the side. The crowd was awesome for this match as the Cena hate was loud and evident in the Bay Area. Lana gets on the ring apron where Rusev then inadvertently knocked her down which led to Cena hitting an Attitude Adjustment on him for the win. Rusev hilariously screams at Lana after the match as Cena celebrates his first United States Championship victory since 2005. This match won't blow you away but it all made sense for WrestleMania. From the epic entrances to Cena defending the honor of his country.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***
Match 6: Bray Wyatt vs. The Undertaker
As the sun begins to set in Santa Clara, so do the lights as The Undertaker returns to the squared circle. This is his first appearance since his loss against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX. Bray Wyatt pretty much has the opportunity of a lifetime here. Is there really anything bigger than going against The Undertaker at WrestleMania? The entrances were grand but the match itself left little left to be desired. Undertaker looked like a shell of himself and the two just weren't able to get over the hump and really grasp the audience's attention. Although seeing Wyatt kick out of a Tombstone was pretty damn sick and that's what really got things going. After that, Undertaker kicked out of a Sister Abigail and like that, the race was on. However, Undertaker was able to reverse a second Sister Abigail into a second Tombstone to get the win. A dull match but at least it got The Undertaker a win and at least it got Wyatt on a great spot on the card.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: **3/4
Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins
This. Is. It. The sun is gone and it is time for the main event of the night. One of the biggest main events in WWE history. No Triple H, no John Cena, no Undertaker, no Randy Orton, it's Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns. I recall watching this live and just seeing these two guys make their way to the ring. I felt the chills go up and down my body and I felt it again watching it on DVD. Lesnar looked dominant, suplexing Reigns all over the place and hitting a couple F5s early on. However, Reigns wouldn't let up and stayed alive. I should add that the shots they are trading against each other look stiff as hell. Reigns got leveled by Lesnar with a clothesline that sounded sick on the apron. Reigns was able to finally get Lesnar off his feet with a couple Superman Punches and a couple Spears. However, Lesnar would not give up and then bam, Seth Rollins' music hits and out he runs with his Money in the Bank briefcase. It is now a triple threat match. A Curb Stomp to Lesnar wasn't enough. His opportunity was seemingly slipping out of his hands. Lesnar had Rollins on his shoulders for an F5 before out of nowhere, Reigns drills him in half with a Spear! Rollin is able to hit a Curb Stomp on Reigns to capture the win and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship! The thrill of the Money in the Bank briefcase isn't so surprising as before. However, when done in a situation like this, there's no way I can argue against it. Rollins comes off as a slimy heel and in the end, he walks out with the gold. Normally not a fan of the heel ending a WrestleMania, but this year gets the exception. It sets up for years of great stories and quite honestly, it's the start of seeing The Shield reverends closing out WrestleManias.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: ****1/2
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
One of my personal favorite WrestleManias of all time. Aside from the Divas match, everything made sense and everything spelled out WrestleMania. Nothing, aside from the damn Divas, felt like a chore to watch and the main event closed the show off with a bang. Seth Rollins pulled off the heist of the century and while many questions were answered here, many more were made left to answer in the years to come.
Rating: 9.5/10
WrestleMania has a proud lineage of Ladder matches and this one kicks off the show under the California sun with Daniel Bryan being the first to enter. This is a great idea to have these guys find spots on the card but after seeing these types of matches done to death, they hardly get any more exciting than the last one. We've seen all these spots done before that even the crowd or the commentators don't really get too excited over things. I guess that really isn't so much the point as they are mainly just getting these guys on the card as they set up the rest of the night. The main spot came when Luke Harper drove Dean Ambrose through a ladder outside as both Ambrose and the ladder snapped in half. This was the beginning for Daniel Bryan to score the victory by taking out Dolph Ziggler on top of the ladder with a series of headbutts. Bryan ends WrestleMania XXX with a title victory and opens up 31 with another one.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ***1/2
Match 2: Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins
This match definitely seemed to be the one that has been forgotten about on a pretty stacked card. Two guys who Triple H has taken under his win go at it on the grandest stage. Seth Rollins comes out to the fantastic pairing of Jamie Noble & Joey Mercury as Randy Orton walks alone. This match just reminds me of how good Orton is and how overlooked he is in the ring. So smooth, so smart and everything done at a fluid pace. They had a great feud coming into the night and everything carried over nicely here. They told a great story from the start to the finish, you felt the hate from the two and you felt the desperation from Rollins who pulled out every move in his arsenal. The ending was fantastic as J & J both got nailed with RKOs for their efforts while Rollins looked to hit a second Curb Stomp before getting it reversed into the sickest RKO I have ever seen. It was cool live and it was just as cool watching it on DVD. In any other occasion, I would be mad at Orton scoring the win over Rollins but since this is WrestleMania, the good guy gets the pass. Rollins loses but I'm sure he'll be a winner by the end of the night.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Match 3: Sting vs. Triple H
It's 1999 all over again as WCW's franchise player in Sting goes up against Triple H. Both guys come out to elaborate entrances that included Triple H coming out with a Terminator-themed entrance which definitely brought the crowd to its feet. I legit do not know where to start with this. They used all the smoke and mirrors they could to cover up Sting's limitations and quite honestly, it worked. Triple H is a genius and showed us once again that no matter the age or situation, he is ready to work with anyone to an unprecedented standard. Things picked up when Sting looked to make Triple H submit with his Scorpion Deathlock before D-Generation X's music hits and out comes the old squad. Sting is able to take care of them and even dive outside the ring and on top of them. This eventually led to nWo coming out as the two teams clash on the ramp. Carnage is breaking loose as Shawn Michaels enters the fray and hits a Sweet Chin Music on Sting! Sting is still able to kick out! The two teams step aside to watch the two superstars clash as Sting breaks Triple H's sledgehammer in half with his baseball bat! However, Triple H is still able to use half of the hammer and bashes Sting over the head with it to score the victory. Afterwards, the two teams face off with Triple H shaking Sting's hands over some animated words. Great match with more style than substance. Sometimes, a match like this is needed for a show like this and this was a perfect opportunity for it. Sting was able to finally have his WrestleMania debut but only at the expense of a loss to Triple H. Many didn't agree with Triple H going over but in my opinion, it made sense. Triple H is on television every week and needs to remind the audience that he indeed is the boss.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ***3/4
Match 4: Paige & AJ Lee vs. The Bella Twins
This is the bathroom break for the show as The Bella Twins face off against their foes in Paige & AJ Lee. AJ locks one of The Bella Twins in her Black Widow submission for the win. What else do you want me to say? The action was fine but nothing out of the ordinary. This also would end up being AJ's final month in the company. Alright.
Winners: Paige & AJ Lee
Rating: *
Match 5: United States Championship - Rusev (c) vs. John Cena
Rusev comes out to an incredible entrance, it almost makes me feel like I'm going back 30 years and watching a foreign heel make his grand entrance. John Cena was granted his rematch here at WrestleMania 31. It's still weird to see Cena not being in the marquee WrestleMania match. Last year with Bray Wyatt and here with Rusev for the lesser championship. I enjoyed with match, good action from the first bell to the last. Rusev is a great heel and Cena makes for the perfect pairing against him. Stiff and to the point with Lana being the wild card on the side. The crowd was awesome for this match as the Cena hate was loud and evident in the Bay Area. Lana gets on the ring apron where Rusev then inadvertently knocked her down which led to Cena hitting an Attitude Adjustment on him for the win. Rusev hilariously screams at Lana after the match as Cena celebrates his first United States Championship victory since 2005. This match won't blow you away but it all made sense for WrestleMania. From the epic entrances to Cena defending the honor of his country.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***
Match 6: Bray Wyatt vs. The Undertaker
As the sun begins to set in Santa Clara, so do the lights as The Undertaker returns to the squared circle. This is his first appearance since his loss against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX. Bray Wyatt pretty much has the opportunity of a lifetime here. Is there really anything bigger than going against The Undertaker at WrestleMania? The entrances were grand but the match itself left little left to be desired. Undertaker looked like a shell of himself and the two just weren't able to get over the hump and really grasp the audience's attention. Although seeing Wyatt kick out of a Tombstone was pretty damn sick and that's what really got things going. After that, Undertaker kicked out of a Sister Abigail and like that, the race was on. However, Undertaker was able to reverse a second Sister Abigail into a second Tombstone to get the win. A dull match but at least it got The Undertaker a win and at least it got Wyatt on a great spot on the card.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: **3/4
Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins
This. Is. It. The sun is gone and it is time for the main event of the night. One of the biggest main events in WWE history. No Triple H, no John Cena, no Undertaker, no Randy Orton, it's Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns. I recall watching this live and just seeing these two guys make their way to the ring. I felt the chills go up and down my body and I felt it again watching it on DVD. Lesnar looked dominant, suplexing Reigns all over the place and hitting a couple F5s early on. However, Reigns wouldn't let up and stayed alive. I should add that the shots they are trading against each other look stiff as hell. Reigns got leveled by Lesnar with a clothesline that sounded sick on the apron. Reigns was able to finally get Lesnar off his feet with a couple Superman Punches and a couple Spears. However, Lesnar would not give up and then bam, Seth Rollins' music hits and out he runs with his Money in the Bank briefcase. It is now a triple threat match. A Curb Stomp to Lesnar wasn't enough. His opportunity was seemingly slipping out of his hands. Lesnar had Rollins on his shoulders for an F5 before out of nowhere, Reigns drills him in half with a Spear! Rollin is able to hit a Curb Stomp on Reigns to capture the win and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship! The thrill of the Money in the Bank briefcase isn't so surprising as before. However, when done in a situation like this, there's no way I can argue against it. Rollins comes off as a slimy heel and in the end, he walks out with the gold. Normally not a fan of the heel ending a WrestleMania, but this year gets the exception. It sets up for years of great stories and quite honestly, it's the start of seeing The Shield reverends closing out WrestleManias.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: ****1/2
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
One of my personal favorite WrestleManias of all time. Aside from the Divas match, everything made sense and everything spelled out WrestleMania. Nothing, aside from the damn Divas, felt like a chore to watch and the main event closed the show off with a bang. Seth Rollins pulled off the heist of the century and while many questions were answered here, many more were made left to answer in the years to come.
Rating: 9.5/10
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
WWE Survivor Series 2015 Review
Match 1: WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Semifinal - Alberto Del Rio vs. Roman Reigns
Live from Atlanta, GA, it's the November classic in Survivor Series! Roman Reigns pops open the night against Alberto Del Rio in the first semifinal match of the night for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Crowd is sided towards Del Rio and if I haven't already said it, I'll say it again. Del Rio looks to be in fantastic shape and to be honest, I wouldn't mind seeing him hold two straps. Good match here that saw Del Rio focus on the shoulder of Reigns which had already been softened up by Cesaro on Monday Night Raw. Reigns definitely deserves more credit than what he gets, he wrestles a smart match and builds the match perfectly around his Spear. Del Rio is able to dodge Roman's first Spear but after missing a dive off the top rope, he turned around right into one as Reigns made the cover to win. Good opening contest as the hate for Reigns continues, people will never be pleased.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Rating: **1/2
Match 2: WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Semifinal - Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens
Winner of this match meets Roman Reigns in the final for the belt. Crowd is pretty split between the two competitors as they gave us a really fun match to follow up the opener. They needed to be able to differentiate themselves from the last match and I feel like they made a nice changeover. Kevin Owens is brilliant when it comes to being a cocky heel. He was literally shouting throughout the entire match at Dean Ambrose, the referee, and even Michael Cole on commentary. Ambrose got in just as much offense in and did his normal routine of moves before hitting his Dirty Deeds DDT after reversing a Pop-Up Powerbomb for the second time to secure the win and a spot in the main event. Good match with a strong finish that protects Owens' finisher. This sets up a big main event between two Shield reverends.
Winner: Dean Ambrose
Rating: ***
Match 3: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination - Ryback, The Lucha Dragons & The Usos vs. The New Day, Sheamus & King Barrett
The New Day might just be the greatest thing ever. They come down to the ring with their cool entrance alongside Sheamus & King Barrett where they joke around about the city's teams before Sheamus takes over the microphone and says it's time to get jiggy with these posers. New Day's reaction was priceless. Anyway, it wouldn't be Survivor Series without a Traditional Survivor Series match so here we are. It's also a perfect opportunity to get these guys on the card. I always enjoy these matches and this one was no different. Good action filled with hilarious New Day antics that included Xavier Woods doing his best to not get his hair ruined. However, once Big E got eliminated, his teammates decided to help him to the back and completely forget the match. Sheamus had an amazing reaction when he saw that he had been left alone to fend for himself. Sheamus got in some offense but ultimately fell to Ryback and his team. Good match that blended speed, action, and comedy all in one.
Winners: Ryback, The Lucha Dragons & The Usos
Rating: **3/4
Match 4: Divas Championship - Charlotte (c) vs. Paige
These two headlined the last edition of Monday Night Raw with their controversial contract signing. The commentators did their best to amp up the viewers for this match as the beef between the two has reached new heights. But let's be honest, WWE can't seem to get this Divas division going and therefore, it's hard to take anything seriously. The wrestling itself for this match was fine but nothing out of the ordinary and nothing that made me understand why these two have so much beef with each other. Everything was kind of just there and the crowd was pretty bored with things as they were calling for Sasha Banks. Charlotte is able to hit her Figure Eight to get Paige to tap out. I applaud the WWE for taking steps into making the Divas division more important, but the execution just falls flat on its face.
Winner: Charlotte
Rating: **
Match 5: Dolph Ziggler vs. Tyler Breeze
Tyler Breeze recently made his debut on the main roster and finds himself on tonight's card against the established Dolph Ziggler. The action was fine as Breeze got in plenty of offense to make himself known on the PPV. Although it seemed like the commentators weren't really that familiar with Breeze, he still looked good here and scored the clean victory over Ziggler. Ziggler managed to also get in a lot of offense and still looked good in his loss. Just odd to see where his career has gone following his big win at last year's Survivor Series. With that being said, it looks like the company really likes what they see in Breeze.
Winner: Tyler Breeze
Rating: **3/4
Match 6: The Brothers of Destruction vs. Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper
Numbers can easily define the legend that is The Undertaker. 25 is the flavor of death for tonight. Survivor Series 2015 celebrates 25 years to the day that The Undertaker debuted on the WWE stage. Bray Wyatt gets to choose two members of his family to take on The Brothers of Destruction. He sends in Erick Rowan to the wolves where he receives a Double Chokeslam for his troubles. Wyatt decides to team with Luke Harper and have Braun Strowman stay in his corner. The Brothers are in control of the match until Strowman tosses Kane over the announce table. The tides seem to turn until Undertaker gets his retribution as he leads a Double Chokeslam to Strowman through the table with the help of Kane. Awesome. Back in the ring and once again, Wyatt looks to be in control. However, The Brothers both sit up simultaneously in the faces of Wyatt & Harper before delivering the final nail to the coffin. What a scene. Undertaker plants Harper with a Tombstone for the win. That was more show and more nostalgia than anything. And I loved it. I got chills watching that incredible entrance by The Undertaker and it literally felt like I was stepping back into my childhood watching this match. The Wyatt Family took the loss but let's be honest, facing The Brothers of Destruction on a PPV match is as good as anything.
Winners: The Brothers of Destruction
Rating: ***1/4
Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Final - Dean Ambrose vs. Roman Reigns
Fittingly, this is tonight's main event. They debuted at Survivor Series three years ago and have established themselves as the top dogs of the company. I liked the dynamic of this match, two brothers beating the hell out of each other to secure what they want most. They looked bruised and battered from their last bouts and they did a fantastic job of selling the pain. Unfortunately, the Atlanta crowd wasn't all into the action or the two guys in the ring for that matter. Regardless, they still pulled out a fun match here with Roman Reigns finally hitting a sick Spear onto Dean Ambrose to score the win. The match made sense, they were tired from their last matches and thus, the match lasted less than ten minutes. The scene with both guys sitting and trading punches was really cool. Can't wait for The Shield to have that triple threat match. Confetti and fireworks go off as Reigns embraces the moment with Ambrose by his side. And then, out comes Triple H. The Game offers his hand to shake. However...
Winner: Roman Reigns
Rating: **3/4
Match 8: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Roman Reigns (c) vs. Sheamus
Roman Reigns delivers a Spear to Triple H right before turning around to a Brogue Kick from Sheamus! Sheamus is cashing in his Money in the Bank contract. Reigns is able to kick out of the first one but a second one does the trick for Sheamus. Your new WWE World Heavyweight Champion is Sheamus! Very similar ending to Summerslam 2013 but it works for the situation and they did need a way for Sheamus to get rid of that briefcase. Would have been kind of cool to see Reigns still beat Sheamus but that really would have benefited nobody in that situation. Also, the audience now can get behind Reigns in a bigger way as he has been screwed out of the championship once again.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: n/a
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
I liked the presentation of the show, focusing on the tournament and the silver anniversary of The Deadman while maintaining the Survivor Series feel to everything. The match quality definitely disappointed as nothing truly stood out aside from the ending. With Seth Rollins and John Cena both out of action, the landscape feels different. And I like it. However, with WrestleMania looming, so many questions have come about.
Rating: 6.25/10
Live from Atlanta, GA, it's the November classic in Survivor Series! Roman Reigns pops open the night against Alberto Del Rio in the first semifinal match of the night for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Crowd is sided towards Del Rio and if I haven't already said it, I'll say it again. Del Rio looks to be in fantastic shape and to be honest, I wouldn't mind seeing him hold two straps. Good match here that saw Del Rio focus on the shoulder of Reigns which had already been softened up by Cesaro on Monday Night Raw. Reigns definitely deserves more credit than what he gets, he wrestles a smart match and builds the match perfectly around his Spear. Del Rio is able to dodge Roman's first Spear but after missing a dive off the top rope, he turned around right into one as Reigns made the cover to win. Good opening contest as the hate for Reigns continues, people will never be pleased.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Rating: **1/2
Match 2: WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Semifinal - Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens
Winner of this match meets Roman Reigns in the final for the belt. Crowd is pretty split between the two competitors as they gave us a really fun match to follow up the opener. They needed to be able to differentiate themselves from the last match and I feel like they made a nice changeover. Kevin Owens is brilliant when it comes to being a cocky heel. He was literally shouting throughout the entire match at Dean Ambrose, the referee, and even Michael Cole on commentary. Ambrose got in just as much offense in and did his normal routine of moves before hitting his Dirty Deeds DDT after reversing a Pop-Up Powerbomb for the second time to secure the win and a spot in the main event. Good match with a strong finish that protects Owens' finisher. This sets up a big main event between two Shield reverends.
Winner: Dean Ambrose
Rating: ***
Match 3: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination - Ryback, The Lucha Dragons & The Usos vs. The New Day, Sheamus & King Barrett
The New Day might just be the greatest thing ever. They come down to the ring with their cool entrance alongside Sheamus & King Barrett where they joke around about the city's teams before Sheamus takes over the microphone and says it's time to get jiggy with these posers. New Day's reaction was priceless. Anyway, it wouldn't be Survivor Series without a Traditional Survivor Series match so here we are. It's also a perfect opportunity to get these guys on the card. I always enjoy these matches and this one was no different. Good action filled with hilarious New Day antics that included Xavier Woods doing his best to not get his hair ruined. However, once Big E got eliminated, his teammates decided to help him to the back and completely forget the match. Sheamus had an amazing reaction when he saw that he had been left alone to fend for himself. Sheamus got in some offense but ultimately fell to Ryback and his team. Good match that blended speed, action, and comedy all in one.
Winners: Ryback, The Lucha Dragons & The Usos
Rating: **3/4
Match 4: Divas Championship - Charlotte (c) vs. Paige
These two headlined the last edition of Monday Night Raw with their controversial contract signing. The commentators did their best to amp up the viewers for this match as the beef between the two has reached new heights. But let's be honest, WWE can't seem to get this Divas division going and therefore, it's hard to take anything seriously. The wrestling itself for this match was fine but nothing out of the ordinary and nothing that made me understand why these two have so much beef with each other. Everything was kind of just there and the crowd was pretty bored with things as they were calling for Sasha Banks. Charlotte is able to hit her Figure Eight to get Paige to tap out. I applaud the WWE for taking steps into making the Divas division more important, but the execution just falls flat on its face.
Winner: Charlotte
Rating: **
Match 5: Dolph Ziggler vs. Tyler Breeze
Tyler Breeze recently made his debut on the main roster and finds himself on tonight's card against the established Dolph Ziggler. The action was fine as Breeze got in plenty of offense to make himself known on the PPV. Although it seemed like the commentators weren't really that familiar with Breeze, he still looked good here and scored the clean victory over Ziggler. Ziggler managed to also get in a lot of offense and still looked good in his loss. Just odd to see where his career has gone following his big win at last year's Survivor Series. With that being said, it looks like the company really likes what they see in Breeze.
Winner: Tyler Breeze
Rating: **3/4
Match 6: The Brothers of Destruction vs. Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper
Numbers can easily define the legend that is The Undertaker. 25 is the flavor of death for tonight. Survivor Series 2015 celebrates 25 years to the day that The Undertaker debuted on the WWE stage. Bray Wyatt gets to choose two members of his family to take on The Brothers of Destruction. He sends in Erick Rowan to the wolves where he receives a Double Chokeslam for his troubles. Wyatt decides to team with Luke Harper and have Braun Strowman stay in his corner. The Brothers are in control of the match until Strowman tosses Kane over the announce table. The tides seem to turn until Undertaker gets his retribution as he leads a Double Chokeslam to Strowman through the table with the help of Kane. Awesome. Back in the ring and once again, Wyatt looks to be in control. However, The Brothers both sit up simultaneously in the faces of Wyatt & Harper before delivering the final nail to the coffin. What a scene. Undertaker plants Harper with a Tombstone for the win. That was more show and more nostalgia than anything. And I loved it. I got chills watching that incredible entrance by The Undertaker and it literally felt like I was stepping back into my childhood watching this match. The Wyatt Family took the loss but let's be honest, facing The Brothers of Destruction on a PPV match is as good as anything.
Winners: The Brothers of Destruction
Rating: ***1/4
Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Final - Dean Ambrose vs. Roman Reigns
Fittingly, this is tonight's main event. They debuted at Survivor Series three years ago and have established themselves as the top dogs of the company. I liked the dynamic of this match, two brothers beating the hell out of each other to secure what they want most. They looked bruised and battered from their last bouts and they did a fantastic job of selling the pain. Unfortunately, the Atlanta crowd wasn't all into the action or the two guys in the ring for that matter. Regardless, they still pulled out a fun match here with Roman Reigns finally hitting a sick Spear onto Dean Ambrose to score the win. The match made sense, they were tired from their last matches and thus, the match lasted less than ten minutes. The scene with both guys sitting and trading punches was really cool. Can't wait for The Shield to have that triple threat match. Confetti and fireworks go off as Reigns embraces the moment with Ambrose by his side. And then, out comes Triple H. The Game offers his hand to shake. However...
Winner: Roman Reigns
Rating: **3/4
Match 8: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Roman Reigns (c) vs. Sheamus
Roman Reigns delivers a Spear to Triple H right before turning around to a Brogue Kick from Sheamus! Sheamus is cashing in his Money in the Bank contract. Reigns is able to kick out of the first one but a second one does the trick for Sheamus. Your new WWE World Heavyweight Champion is Sheamus! Very similar ending to Summerslam 2013 but it works for the situation and they did need a way for Sheamus to get rid of that briefcase. Would have been kind of cool to see Reigns still beat Sheamus but that really would have benefited nobody in that situation. Also, the audience now can get behind Reigns in a bigger way as he has been screwed out of the championship once again.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: n/a
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
I liked the presentation of the show, focusing on the tournament and the silver anniversary of The Deadman while maintaining the Survivor Series feel to everything. The match quality definitely disappointed as nothing truly stood out aside from the ending. With Seth Rollins and John Cena both out of action, the landscape feels different. And I like it. However, with WrestleMania looming, so many questions have come about.
Rating: 6.25/10
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